Klymit Tent 09c4rd01d Cross Canyon 4; Ground Tent; Polyester; Without Window on 2040-parts.com

GM cuts Facebook ad spending, but Ford steps on the gas

On the eve of Facebook's wildly anticipated initial public stock offering, General Motors said May 15 that it will stop buying advertisements on Facebook--about $10 million a year--but "remains committed" to the social network as part of "an aggressive content strategy with all our products and brands." In other words, GM will not pay Facebook for ads but will continue to maintain content, for which Facebook doesn't collect revenue. News of the decision was reported in The Wall Street Journal. But GM's position is far from universal.

New designs make car buyers happy, J. D. Power APEAL survey finds

Buyers of 2011 vehicles are happier with their choice if the car or truck is a new design instead of a carryover model, according to a survey results released on Wednesday, even though new designs are more prone to quality problems. The Hyundai Equus luxury sedan was the top-ranked car in J. D.

Hot seats: from design to delivery [sponsored]

As the user demands on car interiors are increasingly influenced by their growing design consciousness, so suppliers like Lear strive to bring better-engineered seating to satisfy. 2013 was another big year for Lear, as Jeanette Puig-Pey, its global fabric & leather design manager, enthuses: "At our ‘Design2Perform' event we celebrated the unveiling of our brand new collection, with special emphasis on color and texture and our TeXstyle Enhance product, perfect for customization. Laser etching is part of this offering, it is exclusive to Lear Corporation and can be used to add refined design elements to cloth and leather." A mix of fabric and leather in seating is not new but is often seen by the consumer as a cheaper alternative to full leather.